10 natural treasures of the Columbia River Gorge

We here at The Oregonian/OregonLive are gearing up to release a beautiful new book this summer, “Oregon’s Natural Treasures,” that will showcase the natural wonder of our state. In advance of publication, we’re posting previews of each of the chapters online. But be sure to pre-order a copy of the full book before it’s released on July 27.

The Columbia River Gorge might be small compared to the other regions of Oregon, but the 75-mile river corridor is easily one of the most spectacular, scenic stretches in the state.

The same Ice Age floods that created the Willamette Valley carved a wide river gorge through the Cascade Mountains, tearing through ancient volcanic rock and cresting at more than 700 feet high. After the floodwaters receded, they left behind a mighty river flanked by towering cliffs, its tributaries now flowing into dozens of towering waterfalls – the tallest, Multnomah Falls, plunging 620 feet.

As awe-inspiring as it is today, the gorge was an even more amazing wonder just a hundred years ago.

In the early 20th century, as Portland’s population began to skyrocket, developers began eyeing the Columbia River Gorge for its economic potential. They blasted away rock formations and bore through cliffs to bring in the railroad and create the famed Columbia River Highway. Dams came next – first the Bonneville Dam in 1937, then The Dalles Dam in 1957 – slowing the Columbia River to a crawl and inundating one of its greatest wonders: Celilo Falls, the third largest waterfall in the world by volume.

Humans have left an indelible impression on the Columbia River Gorge, but it has remained a resilient and reliably beautiful natural wonder. Every spring, its waterfalls still gush with rain and snowmelt. In the summer, crystal pools still glisten with cool water. And come winter, the ever-present mist still feeds the moss, covering boulders and trees in a coat of green.

So much natural wonder is packed into such a small space that even a short trip to the gorge is long enough to be humbled by its awesome beauty.

The Columbia River Gorge is home to some 71 waterfalls, from small creek falls to towering plunges. The highest is Multnomah Falls, which at 620 feet is the tallest in Oregon. After Ice Age floods carved out the volcanic rock that makes up the region, many tributaries of the Columbia River cascaded over sheer cliffs. Today, most waterfalls in the gorge gush year-round, fed by heavy rainfall and snowmelt.

2. Eagle Creek

Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

2. Eagle Creek

Hikers explore a canyon below Punch Bowl Falls along the Eagle Creek Trail. The trail, which has several spectacular waterfalls, has attracted throngs of visitors since it opened in 1916. In 2017, however, a wildfire started by a firecracker on the trail burned almost 50,000 acres of forest, caused tens of millions of dollars in damage and forced hundreds of nearby residents to evacuate.

3. Crown Point

Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian

3. Crown Point

The setting sun illuminates Rooster Rock and Crown Point as headlights stream through the trees on Interstate 84. The rock formations were originally created by lava flow from the Cascade Mountains and later carved by the massive Missoula Floods during the Ice Ages. Floodwaters crested as high as the Vista House atop Crown Point.

4. Stargazing

4. Stargazing

A young stargazer looks through a telescope during a spring equinox star party hosted by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry at Rooster Rock State Park. Though the Columbia River Gorge isn’t far from Portland, it’s still dark enough to peer into the cosmos and hosts regular astronomy club gatherings.